MANCHESTER, England — Pep Guardiola will step down as Manchester City manager at the end of the season, bringing an extraordinary 10-year reign to a close and ending the most successful managerial era in the club’s history.
City confirmed on Friday that the 55-year-old Catalan will leave his role this summer after joining the club in July 2016. Guardiola will depart having won 20 major trophies with City, including six Premier League titles, five League Cups, three FA Cups and the club’s first UEFA Champions League crown.
Guardiola said the decision was driven by fading energy after years of working at the highest intensity. He described his time at City as “the experience of my life” but said he needed a break from coaching and had no immediate plan to return to management.
His final match in charge will be against Aston Villa in Sunday’s Premier League finale. City will finish second in the league this season, missing out on another title, but Guardiola still leaves after another successful campaign in which the club won both the FA Cup and League Cup.
Guardiola transformed City into the dominant force in English football. Under him, the club became the first Premier League team to reach 100 points in a season in 2017–18, won four consecutive league titles and completed a historic treble in 2022–23 by winning the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League.
Manchester City said the expanded North Stand at the Etihad Stadium will be renamed in Guardiola’s honour, and a statue will also be built to recognise his contribution. The club also confirmed that he will remain connected to the wider City Football Group as a global ambassador.
Guardiola’s departure marks a major turning point for City, who must now replace not only a trophy-winning coach but also the tactical identity he built over a decade. His possession-based football, relentless pressing and constant tactical innovation reshaped the Premier League and influenced coaches across the world.
His legacy, however, will continue to be viewed alongside the unresolved allegations that City breached financial rules, claims the club has strongly denied.
For City supporters, Guardiola’s exit closes a golden chapter. For English football, it ends an era defined by dominance, precision and one of the most influential managers of the modern game.
